regresarvsrepresasWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

“regresar” and “represas” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#2,420
“regresar” frequency rank
#35,229
“represas” frequency rank
37649
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature regresar represas
Definition Volver al punto de partida. Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de indicativo de represar.

Where the eye mixes regresar and represas

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. regresar and represas follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCCVCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.

8 ch
regresar
8 ch
represas

Visual trap between regresar and represas

A purely visual mix-up. regresar ([reɣ̞ɾeˈsaɾ]) and represas ([reˈpɾesas]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37649, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

regresar is recorded at frequency rank #2,420, classified as averb, pronounced [reɣ̞ɾeˈsaɾ]. represas is at rank #35,229, tagged as averb, pronounced [reˈpɾesas].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 37649, this pair ranks #174,196 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of regresar vs represas

Shared letters: aers. Private to "regresar": g. Private to "represas": p.

"regresar" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC  ·  "represas" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • regresar ← ergresar · regersar · reggresar · regreasr · regresarr · regresra · regressar · regrresar
  • represas ← erpresas · repersas · reppresas · repreass · represass · repressas · reprresas · reprseas

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "regresar" and "represas" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([reɣ̞ɾeˈsaɾ] versus [reˈpɾesas]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "regresar" vs "represas" - which ranks higher?
"regresar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,420 in our Spanish list, against #35,229 for "represas". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

What to do next

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "regresar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "represas" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #174,196 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "regresar" and "represas" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "represas vs represor". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #174,196 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list